Over the past two decades, technology has had huge impacts on almost everything we do–everything except participate in our democracy. When it comes to the voting booths, things look a lot like they did in 1996, and changing that scene is really hard to do. Come talk about the role technology plays in our democracy: from campaigns to voter registration to election day, this space is ripe for innovation. The time is now.

University of Chicago neurobiologist Peggy Mason talks with her Brain Buddies Podcast co-host Aaron Freeman about recent research by Fordham University Ph.D. candidate Matthew Comb. Comb and his team collected scores of rats from different neighborhoods in Manhattan and analyzed their DNA. Their work shows identifiable differences in the SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) of rats in different areas of the island. They hope their findings will help the Mayor DeBlasio et al diminish the big apple’s rodent population.

Mathematics can be tasty! It’s a way of thinking, and not just about numbers. Through unexpectedly connected examples from music, juggling, and baking, Eugenia Cheng, Ph.D., will show that math can be made fun and intriguing for all, through hands-on activities, examples that everyone can relate to, and funny stories. Cheng, a mathematician, concert pianist, author and yes–baker–will present surprisingly high-level mathematics, including some advanced abstract algebra usually only seen by math majors and graduate students. There will be a distinct emphasis on edible examples. Suitable for all ages including keen children.

If you are a human being, you have biases–based on race, gender, sexual orientation, body shape and size, religion, height, and a host of other things. Despite our best intentions and without our self-awareness, they are the associations that creep into our thinking, and the implicit biases we hold often don’t line up with our stated beliefs. These biases can affect how we view and treat other people, and have serious, real-world implications.